Steve Borthwick has hailed Owen Farrell’s affect on his workforce as he assesses his choices to switch the absent fly half as England’s captain for the Six Nations.
Farrell introduced in November that he would miss England’s marketing campaign to prioritise his “mental wellbeing” quickly after main Borthwick’s aspect to a third-placed end on the Rugby World Cup.
The 32-year-old has been his nation’s common skipper since 2018, leaving a major gap in England’s management group, notably with common stand-in Courtney Lawes asserting his retirement on the conclusion of the event in France and Borthwick ruling out an SOS to the Northampton flanker.
The England head coach can also be ready on an replace on an harm to Ellis Genge, with the loosehead, who led his nation towards France in final 12 months’s Six Nations, recovering from a hamstring challenge and a doubt for the beginning of the event.
While stressing that Farrell’s absence leaves a major gap to fill, Borthwick is nonetheless assured he has loads of captaincy contenders at his disposal, highlighting Farrell’s work to develop England’s leaders through the World Cup marketing campaign.
“Owen and I spoke right at the end of the World Cup in Paris,” Borthwick, who names his Six Nations squad and captain on 17 January, mentioned of Farrell’s choice to step away from worldwide rugby.
“We took a walk, and he shared some of his thoughts and what he was thinking at that point in time. Then he took a period of reflecting and we met a couple of weeks later and he told me of his decision to step away. I’m full of admiration for this guy, as a man, a player and a leader. It takes a lot of courage to do what he’s done.
“Any team in the world would miss an Owen Farrell. But the work he has done to help create a foundation over these last months, to help reset the England team and move forward – that is part of his legacy through this tournament.
“The other aspect is the effect Owen has had as a leader within this group. The period when Owen wasn’t able to play at the start of the World Cup, the work he was doing off the field to help and support the leaders in the team was awesome. The meetings he was creating, there was a group put together that he then built and added to, and added other members in the group, he was leading meetings two, three times a week about how the team was to go.
“This was all led by Owen. But the number of players that spoke was high. And that tells us about the number of leaders we have got in this team.”
Alongside Genge, Jamie George, George Ford, Maro Itoje and Ben Earl might all be given management roles, with Borthwick anticipated to retain a number of senior figures as he seems to be to construct on the foundations constructed through the World Cup.
While Ben Youngs and Jonny May joined Lawes in retiring after the event, veterans Joe Marler, Dan Cole and Danny Care stay obtainable for choice.
There will, nonetheless, be room for brand new faces, and Borthwick has been inspired by a aggressive begin to the home season.
Just three factors separate Northampton in first and Harlequins in sixth within the Premiership, whereas English golf equipment have begun the Champions Cup season strongly.
Exeter’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, who can also be eligible for Wales, Ethan Roots (who qualifies by way of an English father) and Greg Fisilau have been all namechecked by Borthwick, together with Tommy Freeman, who has impressed at outdoors centre and on the wing for Northampton.
“As you’re watching all these Prem and European games, there’s a crop of young players starting to emerge, young players that are really pushing their case,” Borthwick famous.
“[And there are] players who potentially won’t make the next World Cup, they want to help in any way they can. Players have said to me, you might not play me, but I still want to help, because I’ll help the younger players.
“And that feeling, that level of investment from the players, hasn’t always been the case. That level of investment of the players in this team and how this team grows is really important.
“There’s a lot of competition for places right now. We don’t have the depth in certain positions. We know that. We need the players to be fit at the start of this tournament and make sure we get the right combination together.”
Henry Arundell, one in every of England’s brightest skills, is not going to be concerned within the Six Nations, although, having elected to increase his time at Racing 92 by an additional two seasons.
Borthwick insists that Arundell stays in his plans and has articulated a want to return to England and make the 2027 World Cup.
The England head coach mentioned: “Henry and I have spoken a lot. I went out to Paris and spent a couple of days at Racing. I said to him: ‘Henry, I’m really disappointed because I want you to come back to England and I’d love to see you in the England shirt. But I want you to do well.’
“He was very clear that he wants to come back for the 2026-27 season and he wants to play for England at the next World Cup.”
Source: www.impartial.co.uk